Haines His Way

Well, it's been at least 12 hours since an author has emailed me requesting FF information and I am going through withdrawal.  

Yes, JR and Noel, Hollywood Party leaves a lot to be desired.  I had to laugh when this newest author emailed me yesterday that there is very little documentation for the CP "going after" errant members.  He should see the FOIA stuff I got on my very own Uncle, who was a well-known CP member and union activist.  The Party was out to destroy him after he "recanted"--and this was documented by the FBI, no less!

I must admit I did something a little funny yesterday--I emailed this author telling him (the absolute truth), "You're at least the third or fourth author who's contacted me recently for information on FF."  Of course I received a panicked reply asking for details.  For some reason, this amuses me.  Guess it's time to get a life.

We had a totally mah-velous opening night for our new Tigard Pops Choir fall/winter session last night.  It looks like the Choir will be at least 60 voices strong, which is fantastic.  We will be doing our usual eclectic bunch of tunes, including Nowhere Man, In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel), and Blue Christmas, all arranged by moi.  It is so much fun to do these choral arrangements and then actually have a large and largely competent choir to sing them!!

DR MB:  thanks for listening.  That tape was done as meditation music (in other words, it's perfectly fine to fall asleep to it).  I joked that Side A was for beginning meditators, as it is mostly short, fairly consonant and "trance-like."  Side B I used to say was for advanced meditators, as it is decidedly more spacy, almost a half hour long and has lots of synth effects.  The tape was done as a fund-raiser for a "new thought" church I used to be Music Director for.  If any H/K's want a copy, if you'll pay postage, I'm happy to send one to you more-or-less gratis.

And re:  amateurish behavior at shows.  BK, I believe I can top your sound-man story.  About five days before Going to Pot:  The Reefer Madness Musical opened here in Portland (and we already had sold-out houses for the first 2 weeks), three (count 'em, three) cast members walked out, including the leading lady and leading man, in some ill-thought-out mutiny attempt to bring the show down.  It was really ugly, but I as producer had to rise above, treat them with a modicum of respect that they decidedly did not deserve, and move on.  It turns out we got three new stellar performers within 24 hours, all of whom were much better than the originals.  My only qualm is the original three had already recorded their parts for the cast album, so they're somewhat immortalized.  They have all three paid the price for this despicable behavior, as Portland is a very, very small theatrical community.

Media check:  we caught up on Amazing Race last night.  Betsy and I haven't hated anyone as much as we do Colin for quite some time.  If Christie apologizes to him again for his boorish behavior I am going to reach through the tv and slap her.  At which point she will apologize to me.    And in DVD land I am watching/listening to The Asphalt Jungle, which has one of the more pretentious commentaries I've heard recently.  If this guy says "FAAAAB-ulous" one more time, I'm going to reach into the DVD player and slap him.  At which point, Christie will apologize to me.

In CD land I'm listening a lot to the Celtic fusion band Kila.  If you haven't heard their stuff and like Celtic music, I highly recommend them.  Fun, fun stuff and quite invigorating.

Boxes are all clearly marked, and in most cases I think they tried to keep everything in alphabetical order.

I want to be clear that I like the fellow who does our sound, he's a nice earnest fellow, and I don't begrudge him school - I begrudge him the late notice where it's just difficult to get someone in to LEARN the show.  That's amateur.  We can't expect someone to come in without having the benefit of having seen the show and having sat with him.  That's amateur, but that's what we're being asked to do.  I can't and won't have the cast run the show as a rehearsal.  But, a new sound person who hasn't had a chance to see the show won't know who is who in the cast, therefore they may leave one of the mics open by mistake, they may not turn on a mic that should be on, I mean it's just stupid and not the way professional behavior works.  

Excellent vibes to Jrand for opening night.  

Re Brooklyn the Musical: This was the show that the "people" who were producing Nudie and Meltz and Ernest took on - and in so doing could not raise the balance of the money needed for the film, and in so doing wanted to push the out-of-town production of Nudie six months to a year down the line.  I bolted immediately - I shall let karma do the rest.  They are also apparently doing something so shameless that it's hilarious - they've sent people on to every message board every time they post something at the Brooklyn website - including the songs on that CD.  In order for them not to look like the obvious shills they are, they sort of are negative about the show so that another person of theirs can come on and say they love it.  They have stated that they don't care if the publicity is negative as long as people are talking about it.  Unfortunately for them, someone found out about it and posted and no one seems to be playing their game.  From everything I've heard, it's awful.

Thanks for the vibes Mr BK!

You know I was once IN a show that was very bad, and people came to see if it was AS BAD as was being said (it was) - there were cast members who were happy to play to large audiences of people who enjoyed seeing a BAD show.  I didn't....

And there was another badly directed production of a play that again was being talked about as one of the worst ever (it was) DR Evil KURT and I saw it, and one cast member told us afterwards, that he thought all the talk was great....it brought people into the theatre.

It is possible to have bad publicity - or maybe publicity for the wrong reasons.....and even though Oscar Wilde said that the only thing worse than being talked about is NOT being talked about, I am NOT so sure...

I think Jennifer will be gone this week unless she wins the veto.  I like the idea that it will be a live veto comp (or is it just a live meeting?) and then live eviction on Tuesday. It will not give people much time to think.

I was actually not sorry to see Karen go. Although after seeing how she played the game (seeing all those diary sessions yesterday and last week where she explained herself),  I think she was a very good player. And I give her credit for being much smarter than she originally seemed.

With Drew as HOH I will be interested to see if he nominates Cowboy or Diane (since he promised them both he would take them to final two). Who do you guys think he will keep his promise with? I think diane (but I am annoyed he promised cowboy).

I think he will put cowboy up, and tell him that he would not have him vote out his sister. Cowboy will believe that.

I also think that since Drew knows both Cowboy and Diane will take him to final two, that he won't try to win the final HOH. I wonder if that will happen next tuesday after the eviction? (or probably they will start it and we will have to hear about what happens on the feeds).

Anyone with a brain will want Diane with him (or her) in the final two.  She won't get a single vote.

And Diane's repeat "why me" act after the eviction of Karen was SO typical of her two-faced hypocritical self.  When she turned on Drew and said, "Well you voted her out, too," she was essentially complaining that Karen was blaming only her. Well DUH!  Karen is the one Diane had a pact/alliance with...not Drew.  Karen did not expect Drew's vote.

Diane is a JUDASETTE (I cannot possibly be PC about this, so don't even castigate me about it).

I'm not sure what might be in store for the next competitions, including veto, but Nakomis is the best of the lot of them on mental competitions.

I wish Cowboy/Michael would wake up and smell the coffee.  Drew won't carry him into the finals because he could get too many votes.  Nakomis might not be able to win against Drew, either, but it would be closer than Cowboy, so Drew won't want Nakomis in the finals.

Nakomis is my favorite, too, MBarnum.  I want her to win the veto and then vote to oust Diane.  She can beat Cowboy at anything physical or mental, and she's better than Drew at the mental.

Nakomis has a chance.  It would be best if it were Nakomis and Diane in the final, but I can't figure out how that could happen.

Despite my dislike of the Demo CD, I  am NOT a shill for BROOKLYN - THE MUSICAL.  It's not show music, it's pop.  It is really a show for fans of current pop music, not show music, and I don't think there are enough of them who even bother going to a Broadway theatre.  Between DRACULA and BROOKLYN, it looks like the pickings will be slim for us show queens this season, with mainly revisals and revivals to look forward to until after the first of the year.

JRand - Somehow I missed the fact that it was your opening night.
Belated Merde!

DVD Player -- Packed
VCR -- Broken, but packed
CD Player (at work) -- SCROOGE, Anthony Newley
CD Player (car) -- SCROOGE, Anthony Newley
CD Player (home) -- SCROOGE, Anthony Newley[/s] Packed
CD Player (computer) --SCROOGE, Anthony Newley

I must confess that prior to being cast as Scrooge, I had not seen the stage production or read it, but I had just assumed that it was basically a straight transfer from the film version to the stage.  I remember after the film was released, but prior to the availability of SCROOGE, THE MUSICAL, for the stage, many theater companies in this area were presenting modified versions of the show - unofficially, of course.  I didn't know that Leslie Bricusse had revamped the show as a stage vehicle for his long-time friend and collaborator, Mr. Newley.

Anthony Newley has always been an acquired taste for most Americans.  I think they either love him or hate him.  Personally, although not fond of all of his work, the Original Cast Recording of ROAR / SMELL remains one of my favorite CDs of all time.

That said, it is a shame that Newley and Briccuse did not develop this idea in the late Seventies or early Eighties, instead of waiting until the Nineties.  Mr. Newley's voice, which was always unusual at best, is sadly lacking in this 1992 recording  from the Birmingham production of the show.  There is supposedly a 1995 - 96 recording the London production that is apparently out of print  There are several songs that were not in the film that have been added to the stage production. I actually find them, for the most part, pleasant additions, but overall the recording is a sad reminder of a great performer that used to be.  

The good news is that since Mr. Newley's vocal range has narrowed considerably since his ROAR / SMELL days,  so I may actually be able to sing the songs as written!

Anyone with a brain will want Diane with him (or her) in the final two.  

.

Well Cowboy doesn't.

And Diane's repeat "why me" act after the eviction of Karen was SO typical of her two-faced hypocritical self.  When she turned on Drew and said, "Well you voted her out, too," she was essentially complaining that Karen was blaming only her. Well DUH!  Karen is the one Diane had a pact/alliance with...not Drew.  Karen did not expect Drew's vote.

I think Karen was mad because DIANE IS A LIAR.  I'm amazed Jen could be so civil to her.

I still do not get why Diane could not have been honest and told Karen she had to vote her out for strategic reasons. She would have understood.  It's the lies that got crazy.

I'm not sure what might be in store for the next competitions, including veto, but Nakomis is the best of the lot of them on mental competitions.

Well we don't actually know how good everyone is, since many have been throwing the comps. Drew seemed really good last night (as did Cowboy, surprisingly).

Jen actually seemed to win when she wasn't even trying!

Nakomis is my favorite, too, MBarnum.  I want her to win the veto and then vote to oust Diane.  She can beat Cowboy at anything physical or mental, and she's better than Drew at the mental.

Nakomis has a chance.  It would be best if it were Nakomis and Diane in the final, but I can't figure out how that could happen.

Well Jen has to win the veto. If she does that she can win. That is the key for her (since drew will nominate her).  If she wins the veto then Diane and Cowboy will be the nominees this week (and Jen can keep either).

But then she would have to win HOH and she could take Diane. It will be interesting to see if she would take the most deserving, more honest player (like karen said she would do) or diane, who she could win against.

Jen's destiny is in her own hands.

I didn't think she had a shot anymore. But if the producers slant the comps in her favor, anything can happen.

Btw, were any of you guys surprised that karen and jen didn't help each other in the last veto (like drew/cowboy/diane did). If they had, they would have certainly gotten it. ANd then karen would still be around.

Good Day!

-Just puttering around the house...  (Ah, a FORUM reference... and I'm not talking about the Penthouse kind )

Dear Reader Jose is puttering whilst I prove the notion that everyone ought to have a maid.

And oh that Elmer Bernstein score!

DR Panni has put us into widescreen.

But I love Pete! I want a turtle!

Thanks DRJENNIFER!

Just a few more and we're on Page Three...

They seem to be playing an interesting competition/game on Big Brother now.

http://rapids.canoe.ca/cgi-bin/NewChat/NC-transcript.pl?CHAT_NAME=BigBrother5-16&WATCHER_ID=1389118&ACTION=TRANSCRIPT&LAST=999999

Don't say that, DR Jay! Spit now - or do something to ward off the Evil Eye (and I'm not talking about bk's cleaning lady).